Weary Traveller
by ImXDragon
Summary: (10th Doctor) An exhausted and nightmare-ridden Doctor must once again save the Earth from extra-terrestrial forces.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**This isn't going to be my usual style of writing for two reasons. One, it's my first Doctor Who fanfiction (so please don't hurt me for any mistakes!). And Two, this story is actually a role-play between myself and someone else; a role-play that is still being written. In which I play the Doctor (Tennant/Doctor), and he plays…pretty much everyone else. ;)**

**The story takes place sometime between Planet of the Dead and the Waters of Mars, so the Doctor is traveling alone, soon after Donna's unfortunate departure. **

**This story is purely for fun, so please don't criticize too much. ^^" I'm very nervous about publishing this story (in case you couldn't tell).  
**

**It starts off a bit slow, but will pick up, don't worry. ;)**

**Enjoy! **

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The inhabitants of planet Earth have recently become the victims of a new species of deadly parasites. For six weeks, leech-like beings have crawled into the ears of random humans while they slept, and have brought damage to the minds of the infected. They would become a hollow shell, with a lack of intelligence or subconscious. The parasites would have moved on by the time morning would arrive.

The people of Earth have been advised by all major health departments worldwide to wear earplugs as they sleep, and to take extra sanitary precautions when cleaning or dealing with the infected. Scientists have been unable to discover any valuable information, even after capturing a parasite specimen.  
They would almost seem to be of alien origin...

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The Doctor slammed the door of the TARDIS, just as a rough-cut spear made contact with the wood. Every muscle screamed in protest as he ran to the console, flipping up various switches and pressing random buttons, even turning a wheel once, rotating the desk ball, and finally pulling the hand brake.

As soon as the TARDIS was on-route for the Time Vortex, the Doctor collapsed against the chair and took this chance to catch his breath, sucking in air greedily. It had been one heck of a day...

After having been captured by a primitive race of tribal humanoids, native to the planet of Swajolli, the Doctor had used his sonic screwdriver to release himself from the ropes. Then he had run from the spear-happy Swajollins for several hours. Through bogs and mud trenches and forests; he was absolutely filthy, and bore many cuts and bruises from branches that liked to slap, and rocks that liked to trip him.

Although the tribe had been fascinating to observe, the Doctor wouldn't say that this had been a pleasant trip.

Between his escape, and a recent onslaught of terrible and sudden nightmares, the Doctor was left utterly exhausted.

If the TARDIS hadn't been rocking violently, and throwing any secure object around like a rag-doll in a blender, then the Doctor would have fallen asleep where he sat. Or rather, lay. He had grown used to this reaction from the TARDIS by now, but it never failed to keep him awake.

Then he realized that he had forgotten to pay attention to the destination he had set. He reached for the screen with weak arms, but his heavy eye lids were making it difficult to focus on anything.

And he also realized, a few moments late, that he was crashing.

He was thrown from his position when the bottom of the TARDIS collided with the ground (whatever ground that may be). The lights dimmed for several seconds and sparks from the machinery indicated some threatened damage. The police box skidded off the ground several times, knocking the bedraggled Doctor around limply, before finally resting with a terrible creaking sound.

After several moments, the Doctor groaned and dragged himself to his feet; every bone ached. He leaned against the console and put a hand on the glass core.

"What was that? Eh? What's wrong?" He asked the TARDIS as if it would give some verbal response. When he looked down at the controls, he realized that it had been his fault.

Note to self - Don't fly the TARDIS when tired. Well...he should've have known that by now.

At first, he considered just trying to sleep again (as long as the persistent nightmares didn't plague him as they have been). But his curiosity won - as always - and he headed for the door.

Upon opening the TARDIS door, he found himself standing in the cool night air, in someone's backyard (which was now completely wrecked up, due to his crash landing). Wherever he was, it appeared to be Earth at first glance.

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Matthew nearly jump out of his seat when he heard a loud crash in his backyard. He shakily paused his video game and headed to the back door. Even in the orange twilight sky, he can see large blue box in the middle of the yard. It appears to be smoking. He couldn't seem to decide whether he should go check it out or not. But after a minute he decided he should go see if anyone's inside. Matthew unlocked the door and slid it open, and then he cautiously approached the box. When he got close enough, he could see the outline of a man.

"Umm... h...hello," Matthew stuttered.

The Doctor, who had begun to doze off against the wood, nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice of another person. In the dusk-light, he was able to focus on the image of someone standing a few feet away; although it was hard to distinguish the features. But judging by the accent, this boy was an American.

"Oh! Hello!" He smiled and approached immediately, taking the boy's hand and shaking it energetically. His muscles screamed in the process, but he did his best to take no notice.

"Sorry about the...mess." He said, noticing the torn up grass and chunks of wood from the severed fence.

Matthew didn't know how to reply; he was completely taken aback. "It's okay, I guess. But who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor," he replied. "C'mon, handshakes should be received both ways. Who are YOU?" He still hasn't let go of the boy's hand.

"I'm Matthew." The boy replied, getting a bit more confident. "But you're a doctor in what, exactly?"

"Uhh..." now was the time to think of a witty excuse. "'Doctor' is my code name. I'm John Smith. I'm an agent for the RAA. That's Recovery of Ancient Artifacts. Got a call from the neighbor," he pointed to one of the houses on the side, "that there was a rogue police box. And here I am!"

"I don't know who you are, but that's a very pathetic excuse." Matthew grinned. "How about you make this easy and tell me why you're really here. And if you don't have any weapons, you may come inside first."

That excuse had sounded really good in his head...

He finally lets go of Matthew's hand, then holds both hands up and spreads his fingers.

"No weapons. Never any weapons."

"Alright," the boy smiled. "Then please, come in." He headed back up towards the house and opened the door for the Doctor.

The Doctor was both surprised and impressed by how well Matthew was handling the situation. Most people would have called the police, or would be drawing weapons on him; they would just be freaking out. This boy didn't seem like most people…

The Doctor followed him in to the house.

In the light, each person's features could be seen more clearly.

What the Doctor sees is a boy – or rather a young man - in his teens, about 16 years of age with tanned skin, black silky hair, and a beard. He has a tall stature about him, something close to six feet.

And when Matthew was able to observe the Doctor's features, he took note of everything.

The Doctor was a tall, thin, clean-shaven man (with the exception of his trademark sideburns) with brown hair that was naturally spiked at the bangs. He wore a dark suit and trench coat, and his feet bore red converse.

His brown eyes held the burdens of ancient knowledge, and many nights without rest, and his pale skin indicated exhaustion.

"Wow... I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that you're not from around here," Matthew said.

"Very perceptive," the tall man grinned. "Are you here alone?" The Doctor asked, now taking a look at the surroundings.

"Yeah, everyone else is out for a couple of days. Well, my cat is with me." He pointed towards the couch where he just was. His cat is sitting there, glaring at the Doctor, trying to decide whether or not to run and hide.

The Doctor looked at the cat and furrowed his brows. He wasn't really a cat person…

The cat decided that it was in her best interest to run upstairs and hide, presumably under a bed.

"She's not really a people person," Matthew grinned.

"Good," the Doctor had watched her run, and now took to the couch. As soon as his body hit the cushions, all of his exhaustion slapped back at him. He sank into the couch, and his eyes drooped slowly...for the moment, he had suddenly forgotten that he was in someone's house.

Matthew took note of the Doctor's tiredness. "You know, we have a futon. I can open it into a bed for you."

The Doctor jolted awake again, sitting up immediately and snapping his eyes open.

"Sorry, I don't normally drop off like that." Then he settled in to what Matthew had said. "You would let a filthy stranger like me sleep in your home? Let it never be said that Americans have lost their manners."

"You're right. You are filthy. You should have a shower first. And no, not all Americans are rude. I have some friends who are very nice," he smiled. "Come, I'll show you to the shower."

The Doctor was once again amazed by Matthew's reaction to everything. In short, the Doctor was both perturbed and delighted by this boy's manners. Finally, he was going to be able to get some rest, without having to deal with running, or fighting, or running, or problem solving...did he mention the running?

Yes, he enjoyed his adventures, but everyone - especially the 906-year-old Time Lord - needed a break sometimes.

"Here's the shower. I'll leave you a towel on the counter," Matthew smiled again. "Enjoy it." Then he went to go get a towel.

"This is too good to be true..." the Doctor said, with some dread. Things never happened like this. But he decided to enjoy it while he could; enjoying the luxuries of a human shower.

The warm water had a soothing effect on his aching muscles, and it felt nice to have clean skin again. When had been the last time he had taken a shower? ...New New York? No, sometime after that...It was rather hard to think.

The Doctor appeared down stairs some time later in his under shirt and pants and carrying the rest of his clothes, feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time. He was greeted with the sight of a futon in the living room made up like a bed, complete with pillows, a blanket, and sheets. Surely…this had to be a dream. The things that were happening were unnaturally good.

"Did you have a nice shower?" Matthew asked from behind.

"Oh, sure, thanks," the Doctor replied. Then he grinned. "But didn't you want me in your house to question me? Not to help me?" He was starting to convince himself that this was some trick.

"That was before I saw how tired you were. Don't worry about it. We can talk in the morning over some breakfast." Matthew smiled. "Why don't you get some sleep?"

Very tempting...he glanced at the futon. Then he looked at Matthew. Humans and their hospitality...so brilliant.

He smiled his response, and soon found himself enfolded in the comforts of the 21st century futon. Trick or not, he realized he needed this, and didn't want to pass up the opportunity.

"Sleep well." Matthew said. "I'll be upstairs if you need me." And with that, he flipped the light switch and headed up the stairs.

Oh he would…he hoped.

The Doctor remembered considering going back to the TARDIS and leaving, before he dragged Matthew into some sudden and unfortunate event, as he always did with everyone else. But the pillow cradled his head so perfectly...and the blanket didn't want to let go of him...he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off slowly...

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**A/N:**

**And here ends the first chapter.**

**Thoughts? Hates? Constructive Feedback?**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_

_**A great big thanks to all of you who have read or reviewed this story! It means an awful lot! I hope you continue to enjoy this story. :)**_

_**Oh, and I should say, this chapter contains a pretty major spoiler!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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_"He will knock four times."_

_Something hard banged against the glass door beside the Doctor, and he snapped his eyes open, a chill of absolute dread racing down his spine and causing his limbs to shake._

_Another bang; and he jumped to his feet, fear causing his two hearts to race wildly._

_A third bang; he turned around, trying to search for the cause of the monstrous noise; the very sound that could bring him to his knees. He willed the source to stop there; he didn't want to die! _

_Please…don't knock again…_

_A fourth bang; his eyes caught the most horrifying thing._

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The Doctor sat up on the futon, gasping for breath. His whole body was shivering, and he put both hands on his chest to calm his hearts. He should have known...he shouldn't have tried to sleep. This is what had been happening for days…perhaps even weeks.

That terrible warning had plagued him since the moment he had heard it. It always remained plastered to the edge of his subconscious and thoughts. But when it dared to slip into his awareness, he turned his mind to other things; just as he was doing now.

After he had succeeded to calm himself down, the Doctor decided to sit on the futon and begin the vigil he has become accustomed to. It would be another sleepless night...

He sat there, wrapped in the stretching darkness, in the silence that seemed to guard the house. He tried his best to turn his thoughts to other things; things he needed to do, places he wanted to go, things he wanted to see.

Suddenly, a gray ball of fur hopped up onto the futon and stared at the Doctor. The cat wanted to investigate.

The Doctor turned and looked at the cat, raising a brow and staring right back at it.

"What do you want?"

The cat lowered her head and started to sniff the bed, always keeping an eye on the Doctor. Then she got braver, and began to approach him. He shifted a bit to the side, somewhat further from the cat.

The cat jumped back at the sudden movement and glared at him. Then she slowly crept to the edge of the bed and lied down. He glared back, then turned away and settled in with a weary sigh.

Eventually, the sun came up and shone through the windows, greeting the inhabitants of the house with its warmth. The darkness melted away, reducing to the casted shadows.

As soon as the Doctor saw Matthew coming down the stairs, he stood up and smiled.

"Good morning!"

"Why good morning!" Matthew smiled. "Is everything okay? How long have you been up?"

"So much concern for a stranger," the Doctor smiled, avoiding the question. "I'm growing quite fond of you people."

"I've got some breakfast if you're hungry," Matthew told him, completely aware of the avoidance. "Are you hungry?"

His admiration and warmth towards this human was growing with every act of kindness he portrayed.

"Do you have any bananas?" The Doctor asked. "I like bananas. Bananas are good."

"We do," Matthew replied and headed into the kitchen. He picked one and tossed it to the Doctor. "Eat up!"

"Cheers," the Doctor grinned, catching the banana.

Matthew nodded and smiled, then made a bowl of cereal for himself. He took it to the couch and sat across from the Doctor.

The Doctor peeled the banana and took a bite, smiling approvingly. Then he looked at Matthew, noticing the curiosity in his eyes.

"You have questions."

"I do," he replied. "But I don't know what to say other than, what the heck is going on?!"

"Well...either I'm an agent for the RAA, or you're having a weird dream." This time, the Doctor was a bit more reluctant to reveal his identity.

"What's RAA mean? Ridiculously Awful Apocrypha?" Matthew grinned.

"That's 'Ridiculously _Awesome_ Apocrypha' to you," the Doctor replied, pointing at Matthew as if to secure this detail.

"Alright, if you don't want to tell me who you are, that's fine," he tells the Doctor. "But I'm not letting someone who is keeping secrets from me stay in my house. So if you don't give me a real explanation, you must leave by sundown." And with that, he got up and walked to the table in the other room.

"I wasn't planning on staying anyways," the Doctor replied, glancing outside at the police box.

But after a few moments, Matthew left his cereal at the table and went back to the Doctor; His curiosity was too great.

"What is your police box?" he asked. "For real, what is it?"

The Doctor had been hesitant this time...but he had to admit, seeing others in awe was a bit addictive. After several moments of thought, he finally gave in.

"Let me ask you: What would you do if I told you it was a space ship?" The Doctor looked at Matthew.

"I don't know," he replied with a chuckle. "Probably be totally freaked out and want to go in it, I guess."

"Well..." great, he was going to do this again...It was just instinctive for him; a force of habit.

Donna's departure was still too raw...

But even that couldn't stop him.

"It's a spaceship."

"Wow!" Matthew grinned. "This is a joke right? Can I go in it? How...WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" He laughed out of confusion.

The Doctor grinned; always pleased with the reaction.

"Come on," he grabbed Matthew's hand and near dragged him out the door. The rising sun illuminated the ruined yard, and stretched over the police box that definitely stood out in appearance. Once they approached the wooden blue box, the Doctor stopped and looked at Matthew.

"Ready?"

"No," he said, "But let's do it!"

The Doctor looked at Matthew for another moment, the grin never leaving his face. Then he unlocked the door and gently pushed it open to reveal what was inside.

It was bigger on the inside; much bigger. The main room itself was circular, and held a corral theme to it, complete with pillars that stretched up to the dome-like roof. The floor around the base was made of a metal grating, and beneath, you could see some intense alien technology. The rounded walls bore spherical dents with lights that lit up the ship. There was a ramp that led up to two different levels; both of which were based with metal grating. On the top level, in the very center of the TARDIS, was the control panel (which was a circular panel that held various random objects including a typewriter, a hammer, bells, wheels, levers, buttons, bicycle handles, etc., that would seem to be the controls), and the core of the machine. The core was a pillar of glass that surrounded what looked like clear blue material inside. On the far wall, there was a hallway that stretched out into darkness.

"It's called the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "That's T-A-R-D-I-S. It stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space." He looked at Matthew to see his reaction.

"Wow," he said in awe. "I don't know what to say. This is amazing!"

"She is, isn't she?" The Doctor smiled.

"So what can this thing do?" Matthew asked.

"It travels through time and space," the Doctor explained. He ran up the ramp, throwing his trench coat across one of the corral pillars, and then settled in beside the console.

Matthew was slowly letting the information sink in.

"What brought you here?" he finally asked, walking slowly along the sides of the TARDIS.

"I wasn't paying attention when setting a destination, and I crashed," the Doctor said. Then he was stopped by a thought… "But I've got the whole of creation to crash into...why Earth? Why is it always Earth?"

"Don't ask me. I know about as much about this as I do... well, I don't know anything about this!"

The Doctor tapped his fingers on the console, his brows furrowed in thought. Why hadn't he realized this before?

"Think...is there anything weird going on near you? Anything you've seen? Heard? Felt? Thought?"

Matthew thought for a second, "Well, now that you mention it, there has been some reports of people that go to sleep perfectly normal and wake up completely unresponsive. They don't eat or anything. Doctors have to put IV in them just to keep them alive."

"Ooh, that's new," the Doctor said, looking at Matthew. There goes the time for relaxation…There was always something.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Umm... about six weeks."

"Has anyone found a cause yet?"

"No. No one even knows what causes it."

"Is it a local problem? Or spread out?"

"Worldwide," Matthew replied, "mostly in western Asia and parts of Europe. But there have been a few cases here in the States."

Maybe this was why the Doctor had crashed here, of all places.

"Do you know anyone who's been affected?"

"No, I don't. Not personally."

"Are they being taken anywhere?"

"To the local hospitals."

"Can you take me there?"

"Not exactly," Matthew tells him. "The nearest case was in New York City."

"Then we'll take the TARDIS!" The Doctor smiled.


End file.
